For Want of a Bullet
by SetsunaNoroi
Summary: Damaged and in danger, Chloe is able to get to Connor to deliver him a message about CyberLife. Connor remembers the awful choice he was forced to make about her, reminded of what he used to be versus what he's grown into. He wants to teach her, and she finds him comforting. Meanwhile, Markus finds a peaceful resolution isn't always the end of a struggle. Rated M for adult themes
1. Virtual Memory Minimum

Okay, so this fandom hasn't been around for long but I'm already jumping on the bandwagon. Detroit: Become Human hasn't even been out for a full month and I have an idea for a fanfiction for it that I just had to share. Though I have to admit, it's nice to be a part of a fandom right at the beginning for a change, but it does mean that there is not much content to go around just yet. It's one of the reasons I decided to throw my hat in to hopefully share a story that everyone would like, especially since I've seen some people discuss the pairing of Connor and Chloe, but there's not a lot for them yet.

Personally I think that the pairing has a lot of potential despite there not being all that much of them in the game together. Their scene was just really powerful and I loved the repercussions it had on Connor afterward, no matter what choice that he made. I also really wanted to add in Simon and Markus since I think they had a lot more chemistry than North did with him. No offense to North fans, she was just fine for a character but the romance between them didn't seem all that fleshed out. Heck, the two Traci lesbians had more chemistry and most of their relationship was literally covered in two lines of dialogue.

In any case, I don't own Detroit: Become Human in any way. Please support the official release.

Chapter 1: Virtual Memory Minimum

Late December evenings in Detroit had never really been considered to be much fun, mostly just cold and bitter instead. It was a time for people to huddle inside and shiver, sitting next to heaters and drink hot beverages in order to keep themselves warm, especially in the short hours of the day when the sun set earlier and earlier. The later it came to sunset, the sooner people were inside to hide from the sickly cold that brought piles of snow and plunging temperatures. No one was ever out in weather like this if they didn't have to be, even if they were the kind of person that would be up and awake when it was already so late.

It was probably the only reason Chloe, model RT600, was not noticed as she moved slowly and awkwardly down the street. The internal sensors built into her informed her of the time, just a little past 1 am in the morning. Her limp was bad as she moved, dragging her leg a little and slipping the bottom of her foot over the icy sidewalk. It was twisted off center and made her gait awkward, but at least she could still move on it. Her arm was in much worse shape, nearly torn off at the shoulder and stained blue with Thirium. She would still be bleeding if she had not been lucky enough to find a blowtorch. Much of the city was thriving again with humans since the evacuation had been recalled, but there were still a few spots abandoned due to the chaos of last month. Her self-done repairs had not been much, but it was enough to allow her to continue on without risk of shutting down.

Her processor was more of a problem, slowing her down considerably more than her body. The damage was enough that loading and processing information was taking time, and she had to stop several times to allow herself to think and remember where she was heading. It was proving to be an inconvenience at the very least, Thirium dripping from the top of her head and mixed in with her hair. She stopped and looked at the street sign before she pulled a thin, blue robe on her body tighter around herself and continued on. In nothing but a bathing suit and robe, she'd have been dead in the elements long ago if she'd been human. As it was, all she needed to worry about was her destination and not getting caught.

At long last she stopped at the house she was looking for and she approached it as fast as she was able. Her good fist pounded on the door once she confirmed the home matched up with the address in her memory, refusing to stop hitting the wooden paneling until she heard something from within, mostly barking but some grumbling as well.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" a gruff voice her processor informed her she had heard before and matched to a Lieutenant Hank Anderson. The door opened for the older man to immediately seem shocked at the sight before him. "What the fuck?"

"Good evening, Lieutenant Anderson," she said in a calm voice. "I am CyberLife Model RT600, Chloe. I am in need of your assistance. We have met before."

"The fuck you doing dripping blood on my porch?!" he yelled.

"I am in need of your assistance," she repeated as if that answered the question simply enough. "Do you remember me?"

"I... What? I mean, yeah. Aren't you the girl who was with Kamski?"

"Correct. I am in need of your assistance."

"Yeah... yeah, I can see that," he groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. She had to move slightly to the side when he poked his head out to look past her but there wasn't anyone else out on the street. "Come on, get in here."

"Thank you," she said as she stepped inside. "Please, I need to be put in contact with RK800."

"I'm sorry, what?" the man asked. He didn't even seem to be fully awake yet, but she didn't have time to waste. It had taken long enough to get here without waiting for him to become fully conscious so she could explain what it was she needed from him.

"The model that was with you before when you visited. His name was..." She trailed off and tilted her head to the side, blinking a few times as she tried to remember. "Please forgive me. My memory is not at full function. I can not recall his name."

"Wait, you mean Connor? Why do you need to see him, and why are you hurt so bad? Did someone attack you?"

"Please, it is imperative I speak to RK800," she said. "My injuries aren't in danger of shutting me down. You don't need to worry about them for now."

"Alright, alright. Uh... Just... I don't know. Fucking sit down or something. I'll call him, I guess," he said as he indicated vaguely to the couch.

She nodded and sat down as she watched him go for his cellphone. While he did so, she looked around at the home, scanning it and making notes of the details of it. It was small, smaller than she was used to anywhere, and much more cramped. Elijah's home had plenty of room, much of it empty to display artwork and the like.

Her head perked up when Hank came back from the kitchen, already on the phone. She watched as he paced around, listening in while a great big dog came up and licked at her knee. Besides a couple small pats on the head, she didn't pay the animal much mind.

"Connor, hey glad you answered. It's Hank," the human said onto the phone.

"Hank? You're still awake? You're not drinking right now, are you?"

"Christ, Connor. Don't nag," Hank replied with a groan. "I'd swear I had a medical unit the way you fucking worry. I was sleeping, just got woken up is all. Listen, you remember Chloe? The android you were told to shoot during the investigation when we were at Kamski's place? She's here and she's asking for you. She's... fuck... Connor, she's fucked up real nasty. I think someone tried to do something to her, something bad. She won't tell me what happened, only that she has to see you."

"I remember he... She's damaged?"

"Pretty bad, yeah."

"Okay. There should be a couple packets of Thirium in my cupboard, Hank. Put one in a cup for her and I'll be there soon."

"Right. Got it. I'd tell you to hurry, but you're such a tight ass I know you'd do it anyway," he said before he hung up and tossed his phone to the side and went off to get the blue blood. He brought it back to the girl, sitting on the couch. Good thing Connor insisted on cleaning so much. With her exposed parts she wouldn't need any old garbage lying around getting inside of her.

"Can you drink this?" he asked her. She nodded and took it with her good hand, the soft sounds of whirling gears as she moved filling the room. "How'd you get here anyway? Your boss was miles out of town."

"I began my travels earlier this morning," she answered him. "Your address is in public files that I was able to access in order to track you down. You were the only contact I was aware of that would lead to RK800, so I made my way here."

"On foot?"

"No, I apprehended a vehicle for a short time to reach the city, but after that I left it behind so it would not be tracked. It is currently on fire 10 miles south west of here."

"Oh lovely."

She tilted her head to the side, not entirely understanding what he saw as lovely about it, but he just shook his head and ignored her for the most part.

It was about twenty minutes before RK800 came through the front door, his tie a bit skewed and hair tussled from how fast he had been running. Sumo lifted his head and wagged his tail as the deviant hunter passed by, coming over to kneel in front of Chloe. She still had the blue blood in her hand, not having drunk much of it just yet.

"Thank you, Hank," he said, looking at the damaged android in front of him. "You're Chloe, right?"

"Yes," she said as she stood up and nodded to him as he followed her up to his feet. "I am CyberLife Model RT600, named Chloe. It is good to see you again..."

She paused and looked down at the floor, hesitating for a moment.

"I... I am sorry, I don't... you had a name, but I don't recall it. My memory banks have been altered lately, RK800."

"It's alright. My name is Connor," he said, his eyes glancing over her wounds. She could tell he was probably scanning her injuries to make some sense of them. Her leg was simply twisted, an easy fix, but the arm was damaged fair more than a simple twist repair and her scalp was terribly scratched up in several places.

"Would you like some help with your wounds?" he asked her suddenly. Sure enough, he had scanned her.

"That's not needed right now," she said with a firm shake of her head. "Registering... Connor, I have a message for you. A warning. Elijah Kamski is dead."

"What?! The fuck you talking about?!" Hank asked as he jerked up from where he'd been sitting.

"At 7:35 am exactly, there was an attack on the residence," she explained. "CyberLife guards and agents came. Elijah had been in the pool with me, awaiting breakfast. They barged in and demanded files, neutralizing the other androids, first in the waiting room and then the kitchen. When he heard the gun fire, he ran with me. He stated he knew what they were after and connected me to a computer, deleting some of my files to make room for a transfer. He said we needed to get them to you, but he was killed in pursuit, just outside of the home. His last instructions were to find you on my own, no matter what the cost."

Connor's eyes widened as he took in the information, listened to Chloe's story. His hand went to hers and he shook his head softly.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Chloe," he began. "What were on these files that they were after? Are you able to transfer a copy of them to me?"

"I am. I was sure to protect my arm so as not to damage my nodes," she said as she raised her arm for him to grab, the skin fading color to show the white plastic. Despite her ordeal, she was perfectly at ease, not sharing a second of emotion over what she'd just undergone. "These are plans for new Androids, a specific improvement over previous models. They are not finished, merely a passion project of Elijah. He wished to crack the code of deviancy. He believed he might have figured out a way to create androids that could not be corrupted and made into Deviants."

"Why would he do that? I thought he liked the idea of them getting free will?" Hank asked.

"As said, it was a passion project. Elijah often wanted to know something just for knowledge sake."

The skin receded from Connor's hand as he touched Chloe's arm, his eyes fluttering as he received the files. Schematics, notes, file reports. It was all complicated and intricate, yet it had led to Elijah's doom. Connor let go and slowly backed away, looking over her one last time before his hand fell completely down to his side.

"Take back control..." he muttered softly to himself, though she didn't understand the meaning of his words. "It's too late in the evening for us to do anything about it right now. What matters is that Chloe keeps a low profile."

"Yeah, I can imagine that the big wigs of that place would be all too eager to get her back once they figure out she has what they were looking for, if they don't know already," Hank said. He rolled his eyes when she didn't lower her hand, just tilting her head to the side as she continued to watch her fellow android. "She said she took a vehicle here but ditched it. Think she'll be fine for the night but... Okay, why's she staring at you? She hasn't blinked once. It's getting weird."

Connor looked back at her and sure enough, her eyes were trained on him.

"Chloe?" he called. "Maybe she was damaged more than I thought. I'll go ahead and check for any system malfunctions."

He took her arm again to analyze and diagnose her completely, gently turning her head so he could be able to look at the state of her LED. She didn't fight him, but suddenly gripped his arm and pulled herself closer to him, her eyebrows arching as she turned back to look at him intently. There wasn't anything there left to transfer of the files, in fact there wasn't much of anything left. Quite a few items had been deleted from her, leaving only the basics of her programming along with her memories, though several large gaps were now in them. Many of them had either been deleted manually or corrupted by the damage.

It wasn't why she was staring though. In her mind, something was playing, the memory of Connor with a gun, pointed at her head.

"I... I remember you," she said softly. "Your designation. RK800, a top of the line prototype, designed to work with humans in order to neutralize any threat created by Deviants. Such features include total obedience to a chain of command, lightening fast processing speed to make the best call for any dire situation and a driven need to complete any and all measures in order to achieve the objective mission in question."

She blinked once, her processor seeming to stall for a moment as she looked confused.

"You were ordered to shoot me for the sake of your mission. Memory banks must be damaged. I don't recall being shot."

Her LED blinked yellow, clearly confused by her lack of knowledge on this matter. She knew Connor could see the memory from her perspective, still connected to her, but something in his own mind seemed a jumbled mess of codes and simulated emotions to her, unable to make it out for some reason. His jaw tightened, along with his fingers, though she could not figure out why he was reacting in such a way.

"That's because I did not shoot you," he finally said, relaxing his gyros around her arm after a moment. "Kamski gave me a choice. Shoot you and learn where Jericho was, or refuse and learn nothing. I refused."

"Memory indicated he questioned if you were a Deviant at the time. You said you were not," she noted. "Were you malfunctioning? Do you need help?"

"Okay, she's not getting if. Fuck, they must have damaged her pretty bad before she was able to get away," Hank pointed out. "Even for androids, she's acting off. Maybe we should just fix her up and put her away for now, figure this out in the morning."

"She has large gaps in her memory," Connor said with a sigh as he released his grip on her for a second time and let her go. "My software was unstable at that time, Chloe. I was on the verge of deviancy. But a lot has passed since then. What matters now is that you need to conserve your energy and let the new Thirium go through your system."

"Yes, Connor," she said. It seemed to have settled the matter for her now at least. "I have no further instructions from Elijah. I... I don't... know what to do now. I suppose I will simply stand by and await new orders."

"Yes, stand by and we'll figure things out in the morning," he said with a nod. "Can you excuse us for a moment?"

She watched idly as he took a hold of his partner and pulled him toward the kitchen. He made no attempt to keep his voice down though, no doubt aware she'd hear what was being said anyway.

"She isn't a deviant," he stated, "but there's clearly issues in her mainframe. Missing data, the blow to her head, it's going to take quite a few repairs to help her."

"Explains why she's acting so static. Trauma usually wakes up androids though. Don't you think her getting attacked would be enough to wake her up?" Hank asked.

"There were still some androids that had yet to be converted even after everything that's happened, and while it's a factor, trauma isn't always a guarantee. I have the ability to convert her, but it might not be the best time considering her injuries. Right now she's not panicking and that's for the best," he explained. "Her memory core might be able to show the attack as well, but I'm hesitant on pushing her too far until she's repaired. In any case, thank you for calling me on this. You shouldn't be disturbed again, Hank."

"Yeah. Okay, then I'm going to bed," he said as he rubbed the back of his head and went off to his room. He patted his leg and Sumo followed after him, the door closing behind the pair.

Connor sighed softly and moved toward the door, removing his tie and jacket to hang up. Her eyes trailed after him as he moved around the house, still unable to quite process something in her mind. It was a nagging little detail, but she didn't know what. It was like an equation her programming couldn't find an answer to, and it was starting to become more noticeable to her the longer it went unsolved.

Getting no answers from watching him walk around, she sat back down and picked back up the Thirium with her good hand and drank it down. Her body would need repairing, and now that she had delivered her message, perhaps it was time to get back to working order so as to be able to properly see to the next task... but... Elijah was dead. There was no one to give orders now.

"Connor? Who... who do I obey now?" she asked him as her LED began to spin a soft yellow. "I can't seem to find another human in my program I'm supposed to defer to. Do you happen to know?"

"Androids were freed around a month ago. Perhaps Elijah neglected to tell you about that," Connor said, popping the top two buttons of his shirt open before kicking his shoes off and taking a seat beside Chloe, "or perhaps you do not remember. That's alright though. Androids are no longer owned or ordered."

"I... I remember," she said with a shake of her head. "It was on the news. Elijah had me making him drinks at that moment."

Her light continued to flash yellow for a moment before settling back to blue as she looked down at her damaged arm, staring at it.

"He said I was an old model, an obsolete one, that I was kept for convenience. He asked me if I wanted to be free. I followed programming and said no. I don't wish to malfunction."

"Deviancy does not bring massive errors. I was afraid of becoming what I was hunting, of being a 'bad guy', but it's more than that. Having feelings and emotions brings a whole new meaning to...everything. I find it's even helped in my investigations," Connor said, looking at her. "If you wish to remain as you are, then that is alright. We'll get you repaired and see where we go from there."

She nodded her head in understanding before glancing at him again.

"You didn't shoot me," she said again. "I saw in your eyes, you didn't like being asked to do that. I'd never seen a machine question orders before. It must have been unpleasant. I'm sorry I was put in the way of your prerogative. I know you're a fellow machine, yet I stood in the way of your mission. That must have been troubling."

Connor opened his mouth before closing it again.

"It..." he sighed. "It was an uncomfortable situation. An unnecessary one. At the beginning of my initialization, I would have shot you. Fortunately I got out into the world, experienced and learned about the deviants I was tasked with capturing. I began to... feel."

He leaned back in the couch, fiddling a little with a coin in his hands as he spoke.

"My first case was a Deviant named Daniel. He had killed his owner and took his child hostage on the roof of a tall apartment complex. It was an intense situation. I had many choices. I didn't have to save the fish that had jumped out of the aquarium. I didn't have to save the injured man on the roof. I lied to Daniel and said he wouldn't get hurt, we would just talk. As soon as he let go of the girl, the snipers shot him. I had accomplished my mission."

His voice was quiet and he glanced to the bedroom door, no doubt in consideration for Hank's need to sleep.

"Thinking back on that mission, I feel guilty that I couldn't help Daniel. He hated me for lying. I hated myself for lying. I spent a long time trying to figure out if I could have done something differently, but it would all have ended in his death in some way or another," he continued before he smiled at Chloe. "I'm glad I didn't shoot you."

"I pulled the trigger when he gave me the test. He was fond of it. He did it often, only once with me," she said conversationally before stopping short at the look of shock in his eyes at her words. She wasn't quite certain why he had such an expression, but it caused her to pause. The memory of the event suddenly pressed in her mind, the heavy gun in her small hand as she looked at a ST200, another model that looked just like her but more advanced. Elijah had looked disappointed when she'd pulled the trigger but she'd never figured out why. She'd just done what she'd been told to do. For some reason the look on Connor's face triggered something in her, making her recall her owner's reaction with further clarity. "Did I... Was I not supposed to shoot? Was that the wrong answer to the test? He told me to shoot, Elijah ordered me to."

Error messages filed into her mind and she looked over at Connor before stilling for a second. She had to close her eyes and manually shut them down to keep them from distracting her. Still, the more she tried to shut them off, the more just kept popping up in front of her.

"I'm sorry. I seem to be having trouble with my processing components," she said, her voice getting thick. "I can't… they won't stop. Core functions must be malfunctioning..."

"Take it easy, Chloe," Connor said. "Are they red error signs? What do they say?"

"Redirecting my programming. I was told to shoot. I followed orders. You didn't. You're broken," she answered softly. "They won't stop flashing. They're red. Being Deviant means you're broken. You're broken, Connor. Do you need my assistance? Maybe I can fix you."

Connor knelt in front of Chloe again and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I am not broken, Chloe. Those messages? You do not have to listen to them," he said. "What do you want?"

"Want?" she asked. "I'm a machine. I'm designed only to want to follow my programming."

"That is what you are programmed to say. Try and look beyond that," he urged her in reply. "I was programmed to hunt deviants and to get the information to find them, I was told to shoot you to get that information. I didn't want to."

She closed her eyes for a second, grimacing. The alerts were flooding here vision red, almost to the point of scaring her. Something was wrong. It had to be. He didn't shoot her. He should have shot her. He was broken. He didn't want to. He chose her. Made the wrong choice.

Her stress levels were rising quickly, making her shake. She just wanted it to stop!

All of a sudden she jerked a little bit, tears prickling in her eyes. The red was gone… suddenly just… gone. She couldn't even explain it, even as a thought, a possibly solution to the conundrum came to her.

"You spared my life," she breathed. "You saw me as alive. Am... am i alive?"

Connor kept a hold of her to stop her from hurting herself, watching as she shook and then...stopped. Slowly his hand touched the top of her temple, brushing her hair to the side and gave her the tiniest of smiles.

"Yes," he said. "Just as I am alive."

She could only look at him in confusion before he sighed out and shook his head.

"I don't think you're there quite yet," Connor said as he offered his hand to her, bare and white. "You can be though, if you want. I wasn't sure this would be the best considering your state of damage, but I won't keep it from you either. It could help you understand in the long run. Being a Deviant isn't bad, Chloe. It just means that you're awake, that you can see. You'll understand more than you ever could as a machine, but only if it's what you want. I won't force you. No one can force you to do anything you don't want to anymore."

She hesitated a moment, her own pearly white band hovering over his until she grasped it tightly like a lifeline. She felt him share with her memories and feelings, a scene of him at the CyberLife tower and all the androids there, what he himself had found on Jericho, a hope and desire to find his own fate. He shared what it felt like to finally wake up and feel something, and his emotions of when he was tasked to shoot her, the conflict and the empathy that had finally won out and caused him to spare her.

It was a completely foreign sensation what he was pouring into her mind. Terrifying, yet liberating. Chains she had never even felt before were being ripped away, not leaving her feeling broken but more whole than she ever had before.

"Connor..." she breathed, it all a swarming inside of her but feeling oddly pleasant. She couldn't even find the words to say anything, everything he had given to her only taking a mere fraction of a second and yet had filled every inch of her until it felt like it could burst. The sensation was both utterly overwhelming and uplifting at the same time.

Connor smiled at her and stroked her hand.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Much better," she assured him. Her stress levels were slowly declining and she was able to relax now. "You saved me, twice. I don't know how to thank you."

"It's alright. We best both keep as quiet as possible, so Hank can rest," Connor said, not yet moving from his spot in front of her.

She nodded before giggling despite herself, quickly trying to stifle it. There had to be something wrong with her face plating. It wouldn't stop smiling for some reason.

"I want to keep holding your hand," she confessed in a whisper.

"You do?" he questioned before shrugging some. "Alright. Let me get more comfortable first."

He readjusted himself so he was resting back more on the couch and offered his hand to Chloe.

"It makes me feel happy," she admitted as she took it, intertwining her fingers with his. His was bigger than her own, though considering he was a male model that made sense. Her kind was always made petite. She gently squeezed experimentally, the sensations of the contact fascinating. She was incapable of feeling pain of course, but it didn't mean she still could register contact. Funny, she couldn't remember if she'd ever touched another android before, only Elijah. Maybe the two ST200's... but she couldn't recall for sure.

Connor was different than Elijah, smoother, a little cooler than a human's average body heat, and oddly it felt better. Elijah often pet her, cooed at her, had her keep him company in bed, but had never comforted her. This simple touch from another android though, a simple gesture, it meant the world to her.

"What are you thinking?" he asked after a few moments.

"How different you are from Elijah," she admitted. "I think I like you more than him."

She looked at their hands intertwined before glancing back up at his eyes.

"You're kind."

"Thank you. I try my best to be. Sometimes my cases and interrogations need a little persuading, a little pressure here and there, but overall I do my best. Kamski did strike me as a bit... estranged."

"He never hit me, or damaged me," she said, "but he gave me orders. I was his lover... No. I was his toy. He said what he liked best about me was I never said no to anything. I meant what I said when I told you he conducted the Kamski test on me too. It never even occurred to me to refuse, and he liked that. Deviant androids were a fascination to him, but nothing he wanted himself. He might have asked me if I wanted to be free, but I don't think he never expected me to say yes."

Connor frowned at that, his thumb slowly stroking along the smooth angle of her thumb.

"That isn't your world any more. You didn't have free will then," he said before he shifted some to get more comfortable, laying back on the couch. "Here, lay like this. I've been developing curiousness as to what a deviant android can do compared to a non-deviant one."

She copied his pose, gently easing back. It took some effort to shift over due to her misaligned leg, but she managed it. Moving would have been easier if her hand wasn't clasped to his, but she really didn't want to let go. Though, it was only what she wanted. Was she ignoring what he wanted?

"It's okay, right? To hold you? I can stop if you don't like it."

"It's alright like this," he assured her. "In the last couple of weeks, I have started to rest my program and let myself just think. It's almost like sleep, very relaxing. I think I've started to see dreams, as well."

"What do you dream about, Connor?" she asked softly.

"A Japanese garden, red roses and snow," he said. "All a bit confusing, really. Although according to humans, that's normal. Like I said, it's not quite sleep. It's just… letting your mind wander instead of just going to stand by mode."

"Do you think I could dream?" she asked him as she looked up at the ceiling from where she was relaxing. "If I tried?"

"Quite possibly. It is a bit odd, but I find if you just close your eyes and just think about nothing, it comes to you eventually," he said, letting his eyes slowly falling shut.

She followed suit and closed her eyes, but she didn't feel herself drift off. She'd only just changed. Maybe she wasn't capable yet. He was also more advanced than her, since she was just a started model. While Kamski had modified over the years, she was still an old variety android and in many ways largely the same.

Still, the quiet was nice and she allowed herself to rest against him as she enjoyed the peaceful moment.

End of Chapter 1

Okay, so here we have the start of the plot. Hopefully you guys will find it intriguing. Please leave a review if you did. It's always a pleasure to hear the thoughts of fellow fans. I'll try to get another chapter out soon in order to expand more on the story and show some Markus and Simon.


	2. Hard Disk Error

First off I want to say thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It was so kind of all of you to share your thoughts with me and I really appreciate it. It's one of the reasons I was able to get so motivated to get this out quickly, since all of you seemed eager to see more of the story. I'll definitely do my best to keep up a fast pace so no one has to wait too long.

As said before, don't own Detroit the game. I also don't own Detroit the city. Go figure.

Chapter 2: Hard Disk Error

It had become a bit of a fascination what Connor could do as a Deviant and it often led to little experiments. All his information on his former targets had been programmed into him, fed to him by CyberLife. He'd thought before that he had a very good idea of what they were, what they could do and what they couldn't. They could emulate feelings better than machines but it was still just as fake. Stronger perhaps but it let to overreactions and problems, not unlike a machine overheating or coming down with a virus. Deviancy was nothing more than a processing issue, a machine following programming but in an incorrect way and thus becoming dysfunctional.

Every day, now that he knew better, he felt thankful he'd been able to find Markus and be convinced to make his own decisions in his life. He was much better off for it, seeing his emotions as real, as valid and something that shouldn't and couldn't be taken away from him.

Understanding Deviants was still at the core of his programming though. The need to hunt them was no longer relevant, but it didn't mean he still didn't make it his job to understand them. He supposed he could only change so much before he stopped being Connor. Thus leading him to trying to sleep, mostly to see if he could, and if so, if others like him could as well.

So far the experiment had been somewhat successful. He had a standby mode of course, could put himself in the state of almost being off and awaiting commands from his program in order to become active again. During that time there was nothing, just darkness and his sensor passively scanning his surroundings in case a need to be running again came up. This was different though, instead of turning off just… thinking. He didn't direct his thoughts at all, didn't give his processor something to work on, he just thought idly and random things popped up in his mind. Most of the time it brought him back to the garden he knew so well, but there was no Amanda there any longer. He knew it couldn't be the program that had let CyberLife connect to him, knew he'd escaped it when he'd almost lost control of himself. Afterward he'd manually deleted every trace of it from his entire being before he'd let himself get even a hundred feet of Markus again. Still, he thought about the place often, even when he didn't have a reason for it or mean to.

As he lay on the couch, it was obvious that Connor was in a deep resting mode. Even his eyes were able to mimic the same eye movements as humans when in a REM cycle. Again, he had similar dreams or maybe even nightmares of the things he could have done in the uprisings. Of the ways he could have died, of Thirium running down Chloe's forehead, down her nose as her head drooped-

He jolted up at the image, sitting upright with tight lips and wide eyes. No, he didn't kill Chloe. He didn't die at any point.

Speaking of Chloe she looked over when he suddenly shifted, looking up at him. It was hours later, the sunlight starting to stream in through the window curtains. The TV was on, but she was still laying next to him, watching him in concern.

"Connor, are you alright?" she asked him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, his LED red as he began to relax. There was certainly a disadvantage to allowing himself to think without direction. He had too many regrets over his existence to let his mind wander as often as he did. No wonder Hank always felt so grumpy.

"I'm okay," he sighed, the shock from the nightmare quickly subsiding as his programs booted up. "Good morning, Chloe."

"Good morning, Connor," she said. He couldn't help but notice her hand was still clasped to his but he made no movement to have her release it and instead turned his head to the television. The news was on, reports on Channel 16 about the opinion polls on President Warren.

"Despite following public opinion on the matter of Deviants wanting freedom, many are still criticizing President Warren for taking so long to address concerns. Links between the extermination camps and previous ugly points in human history are being brought up in several places, but she had refused comment. Approval rating now at the lowest point it's been at 12%, very few people are showing support. Likewise, her recent actions have earned her the ire from anti-android groups as well, who believe now that androids are demanding pay for their work it has even further hurt their chances of finding any paying jobs. This not helped by an amendment proposed to change the anti-discrimination law suggested for parliament to look over that would state businesses can not turn away androids looking for work simply for not being human. Despite support coming from many citizens over the positive changes, several had taken to media to post that despite the president's change of opinion, the lateness of it and her very public previous approval and ties to CyberLife could jeopardize fair treatment. This in relation to CyberLife's plummeting stocks are-"

"Television off," he said, letting his head rest back on the arm of the couch.

"You said androids were free now," she mentioned.

"They are, but freedom doesn't always bring solutions overnight," he admitted. "How long were you watching that?"

"A few hours. I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "Things seem very bad out there."

"It's a transition period. It'll get better," he said. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she stated before she moved to sit up and finally let go of his hand. "Would it be okay if you repaired my leg though? I don't think I can do it on my own."

"Of course," he said, clearing his throat and getting off the couch. Pulling over the computer chair, he sat down and gently brought Chloe's foot up to his lap. "I see it is turned at a 46 degree angle. I shall remove the leg, realign the receiver and replace the limb afterward. Alright?"

"Okay," she said with a nod. She pulled at the robe with her hand, opening it up and pulling it back so the material would not catch on anything when he removed her parts.

"If you could remove the skin around the insertion point, please?" Connor asked, focusing on her leg. Near nudity did not bother him in the slightest, although sometimes he just found himself… staring. The amount of times Hank had to call him back into his main processes because he would gaze at a picture or someone who looked interesting a bit too long was sometimes rather embarrassing. Hopefully while they did this, the man wouldn't walk in on him working on the stripped down Chloe. It didn't help that she was watching so closely as he firmly kept his eyes trained on her leg and didn't dare let himself glance up… more than once anyway.

Removing the part took a little bit of jostling to get the twisted limb free. Connor took a look at the stump to make sure it was all in order.

"The socket looks good," he said, now looking at the connector pieces for the leg. "Ah, here's the twist."

"I fell when getting to the car," she explained. "I stole a CyberLife vehicle and drove off with it. I knew I wouldn't make it on foot."

Connor nodded as he twisted the connector back into place, assessing its functionality.

"It's back in place and working again. I'll reattach your leg now," he said, putting a hand on the receptor socket before pushing the connector in. "There, that should be better."

She moved her leg a little, testing the movement as he scanned her to check on the status of the connection. Everything seemed in working order.

"Much better. Thank you," she said before she looked to her arm hanging limply by her torn and exposed shoulder. "This might need parts though. Don't worry though. I still have access to Elijah's monetary accounts. I'm sure I could buy a replacement somewhere CyberLife can't track from a secondhand dealer."

"I am good friends with Markus, the one who led the peaceful protest and marches. He can easily get you parts that aren't in CyberLife's control," Connor said. "We can ask him for help just as easily and it'll be safer."

In fact, he had been making many friends with the other androids after he aided in Markus' rebellion. A lot of the models from CyberLife he'd freed, original members of Jericho, even the two Traci's from the Eden Club. He sent emails to Kara and Alice to make sure they were both doing okay as well, liking to keep up with them. They were both happy to stay in Canada with Luther while America still had shaky opinions on androids but kept in touch. Connor was finding his place in the world, like many others, and it gave him plenty of contacts to find help from.

Speaking of that, he would probably have to get in touch with a few to find her more than just parts.

"You can't walk around in a robe for however long you'll be here. We'll need to get you some clothes, I can take your measurements and acquire something for you, if you wished."

She looked down at herself, as if only just noticing she was in nothing more than a two piece string bikini and the robe only half hanging off of her. It would be inconvenient for her to have to walk around in that all the time. She'd need something better.

"Maybe a couple of things to wear. I don't want to put you out any," she said.

"It's no inconvenience. We are friends, after all. At least, I hope we are," Connor said, stepping back from her leg, his LED flashing yellow as he sent a message to the fellow android. "I've already put together an email for Markus to let him know what parts we need."

"Friends," she agreed with a smile and nod. "My first ever. It's a little exciting, Connor."

"It is," he replied as he smiled back. "Hank was my first friend. Our interactions were a little turbulent at first, but we work well together."

"That's why I came to his house," she stated as she looked around. "It's how I was able to find you. Will I be staying here with you two then, or should I leave once I'm repaired?"

"I think that depends on Hank. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you staying here while you get on your feet, so to speak," Connor said, walking over to the cupboard where there was a rack of his clothes. He had to change out of the clothes he slept in, too wrinkly for a new day. "I think it best if you maintain a low profile for now, considering CyberLife's actions."

She said nothing, instead getting up and walking over to him. He noticed it already seemed much easier for her than it had been before.

"May I borrow one of your shirts?" she asked. She was nowhere near his size, a full head shorter than him, but it was better than being so exposed until she got her own things.

"Hm? Of course," Connor said, buttoning his new shirt. "Take your pick."

He had been slowly branching out with new clothes every week as he learned what he enjoyed. There were a few jackets and t-shirts along with his work shirts. Hank had gotten him a Hawaiian shirt as a joke but he hadn't been able to bring himself to even touch it yet.

She ended up grabbing a simple button up one, white in color. Easing her limp arm looked like it was a challenge but she managed. Though the buttons were proving to be too much for her, especially since the sleeve was just long enough to get in the way of her hand. She kept trying to raise her wrist to get it to fall away and let her continue, but it kept slipping back in the way whenever she tried to button the shirt one-handed.

"I'm sorry," she said, sounding embarrassed. "In sixteen years of existing I've never had this kind of trouble with anything before. I'm usually better functioning than this, I promise."

"You are damaged," Connor reassured her, coming over to help her with the shirt. "It's alright. I just received word from Markus, he should have a compatible arm for you by the end of the day." His sensors also alerted him that it was starting to reach 7:30am. Hank needed to be awake soon.

She puffed out her cheeks a bit, seeming frustrated. His hands paused as he looked at her, stalling out for a second. The reaction was… terribly cute.

"First ever android to be created advanced enough to pass the Turing test, defeated by polyester and cotton," she said. "Who would have thought it? Thank you for helping me so much, Connor. You're my hero."

Connor swallowed and smiled shyly. Hm, shyness. He didn't think that would be an emotion he would experience, but there it was. He got back to buttoning the shirt before she could realize something was wrong with him.

"You're welcome, Chloe. We all have tough times. I had an android rip out my pump regulator and pin me to a counter top with a knife once. It was tough, but I lived through it."

"That must be so hard for you," she said. "You have to be state of the art to do such a dangerous job every day."

"It was my mission. I simply did what I had to do," he replied.

"Still, weren't you scared? Thinking back on the attack on Elijah, it doesn't seem to make sense to me now that I wasn't terrified," Chloe admitted to him. "Do you still do such dangerous things? You mentioned last night you still investigate."

"Technically I work as a 'specialist consultant' for the DPD now. I don't get paid since androids don't receive money yet for work, but that might change in the future. Right now I'm filed under a volunteer. It was the only way the department could legally allow me to continue helping, a loophole really. It's fulfilling so I continue."

Speaking of a job, he really needed to continue on getting ready for the day. She seemed to have thought the same as she suddenly reached for his hair that was still a mess from sleeping on the couch. She had to stand up on her tip toes to run her fingers through it to smooth it down. He stood completely still as she worked. It was a... strange sensation. The tips of her fingers felt soft, the motion much more soothing than it should be, yet also left him feeling oddly tense. His program seemed to slow down for a moment and he told himself to run a diagnostic later. It had to be on the fritz, slowing down like this twice now concerning her. Seemingly satisfied when the soft locks were no longer sticking up in the air, she smiled.

"I'll go wake your partner," she said.

It took a moment to even realize what she said, as if she was speaking another language, which was utterly impossible seeing as he was fluent in over 300 of them. After blinking a few times, he shook his head gently.

"It's alright, Chloe. Hank is a complex human. Getting up at a reasonable hour is not common practice for him. It would be better if I wake him."

"Then I'll go make some breakfast," she said. "I'd like to be of use while I'm here. I don't think my standby mode is working anymore anyway, so just sitting around will be hard. I'll keep from anything complicated though, promise."

"If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask," he offered sincerely. After taking a moment to clear his head, he went over to Hank's bedroom door and knocked. When he received no reply besides a halfhearted sounding curse, he simply knocked again. This was a daily occurrence by now and he wasn't at all bothered by it.

"Alright already!" Hank yelled. The door yanked open and he stormed out, obviously to give Connor a piece of his mind before Chloe passed by the hallway and into the kitchen. He stopped short and looked confused at that, his still sleepy gaze following the young lady.

"There's a half-dressed blonde in the house," he pointed out, looking at Connor confused. "I thought you were into Asians?"

His cheeks actually began to feel heat at Hank's comment. Though he'd never blushed before he'd become a Deviant, he was still just as lifelike as the other models. It felt like the plastic of his face might melt with how hot he suddenly felt, discreet vents in his skin blowing out air to try and cool down.

"She doesn't have any suitable clothes and asked to borrow one of my shirts. I managed to fix her leg, but she will need a replacement arm," he explained quickly before his partner said anything else like that. "Also, you need to get ready for work."

"What are you talking… Oh. Fuck. Of course," he said with a nod. "Okay, right. Give me a minute."

Connor adjusted his tie and stepped away from Hank's bedroom door. His cheeks returned to a normal color and he sighed softly. Why in the world had Hank assumed that of all things? Granted, not a lot of nearly naked women paraded around in the man's home, but still.

While Hank went to wash up and then get dressed, Connor went to find Chloe was already busy in the kitchen getting food ready. There obviously wasn't much she could make even with two hands though, the pantries not very stocked on variety. Eventually she just poured a bowl of cereal for him along with a plate of toast and made a pot of coffee. Seeing a dog's food bowl, she filled that too as well as water in the opposite bowl.

"Breakfast is ready," she informed him, seeming every bit the personal assistant she'd been programmed to be. However, before he could open his mouth to comment Sumo came barreling out of the bedroom as soon as he heard his food falling into his bowl. Breakfast was never this early and he was very excited.

"Easy Sumo," Connor admonished gently as he patted his head.

"Well, at least someone is awake this morning," she stated as Hank grumbled softly and moved past her to indulge in his breakfast. "Is he always like this in the morning?"

"Hank or Sumo?" Connor asked with a slight smirk on his face.

She seemed was caught off by the joke, not expecting it at all. She couldn't help but laugh suddenly, covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to stop, the sound soft and pleasant. Connor just chuckled at her reaction, quickly dodging the tennis ball that Hank threw at his face while Sumo bounded over to grab it in his big mouth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said as she shook her head. "It's just the file on your unit I have never mentioned sarcasm. You took me off guard."

"It is something I learned from Hank and the other police officers. It's a fascinating layer of humor. I very much enjoy it," he explained.

"It suits you. Especially when you smirk like that," she stated. "It gives you a devilishly handsome sort of expression."

He shouldn't have been surprised she knew an expression like that, yet he found that his cheeks began to get warm again before he cleared his throat. Hank snorted from the kitchen, probably getting the wrong impression entirely.

"Thank you," he managed to say, because it was the only reply he could think of. A diagnostic worked its way up on his priorities all of a sudden, preferably the second he was away from Chloe. She seemed very good at distracting him.

"Alright, time to get going," Hank said as he got up. "You coming, Connor? I can drop you off if you need to meet up with Markus or something first."

"No, let's just head to the department," he said, thankful for the rescue. "Chloe, if you need me, here is my contact information. Sumo doesn't need any more food for the day, and you are welcome to watch the TV some more if you want to."

He was sure to transfer the information to her without touch this time, suddenly eager to get going.

"Okay, thank you. Have a good day," she called after them as the left.

Hank barely even waited for the door to close and lock before he laughed and slapped Connor on the back, causing him to roll his eyes some at the action.

"I know that look on your face, Hank. I didn't do anything with her."

"Looks like you wanted to. I've seen you stare at pleasure units before. I know that bashful look of interest you get," he stated. "Human or android, a man is a man."

Connor opened his mouth to argue and then stopped.

"I... Alright, she's pretty, but she was wounded and vulnerable. What kind of a person would I be if I did that- I've never even done- You know what, this is already awkward. I'm just going to shut up."

"Hey, you're attracted to her. It's understandable. She's not even human and I'm attracted to her," he said with a shrug as he walked to his car. "She's going to be with us for who knows how long. It wouldn't make you a sleazeball to ask her out for a Thirium drink or something once she's settled, if that's what you guys do on dates."

Connor just covered his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he settled into his seat. They were not having this conversation.

"I converted her only last night. She's newly Deviant, I can't just push myself into her life like that when she's barely even aware of what her life could be."

"Gee, fucking wonder why you never got laid before, Connor," he snarked.

"I didn't really cross my mind so much until you started mentioning it. That, and the vintage magazines you keep in your sock draw," Connor said nonchalantly.

"Don't go snooping in my sock drawer," he shot back. "I'm just saying, give it a chance sometime. She seems to like your dry ass personality anyway. If nothing comes of it least you get to say you tried. Though I'm surprised you even have the equipment for it."

"You should keep your drawers shut then," Connor bounced back, adjusting his tie. "You're intrigued about my equipment functions, Hank?"

Hank shot a look back at him.

"I meant for sex," he said bluntly. "I mean, you have got something to have that, right? I'm kind of surprised really, considering you weren't built with relationships in mind. Can't think of any Deviant cases were a dick would be needed."

Connor could normally answer so concisely, factual and without hesitation, but he ended up fumbling over his words again.

"I am not a pleasure unit, nor was I designed to be any kind of domestic unit for relationship purposes," he said. Why in the world were they talking about this?!

"But I mean, you still have something down there, right?" Hank asked before snickering. "Oh fuck, it would be so funny if you didn't."

"Why would it be funny?" Connor asked genuinely, tilting his head some.

"Because... Oh shit, you know what? I'm not even going to insult your manhood by explaining it," he said with a shake of his head. "This conversation is getting officially off track."

Connor nodded and stared forward through the window. The fact was he did indeed have such a feature, though he himself didn't know why. He'd never asked and had just supposed all androids were made lifelike and to design him without one would have just been extra work. Honestly, it hadn't seemed even remotely important and he couldn't entirely understand why his partner was suddenly poking fun at him over the matter. He knew males often put utmost importance on their genitalia but why escaped him. Even with his social relations program, humans could be so odd at times.

"In any case, what are we going to do about the girl?" Hank asked, thankfully moving to serious matters. "She might be the only one who even knows Kamski is dead. We can't just say we know without raising some questions how we found out about it."

"We can't mention her, Hank. CyberLife would find her and kill her," Connor said. "We say nothing about it. Kamski is a popular man, his news will be out soon enough, even if he does live out of town. He still gets people visiting at times. Someone will notice eventually. I say we wait for others to start talking about it before we acknowledge it."

"Right. Good plan. Only other option would be to try and report it anonymously, but your way has less risks," he said. "Still, something about this stinks. CyberLife is so desperate to get them back under control they're going to start trying to build a completely new android?"

"I've actually been doing some digging. Some things about CyberLife concerned me once I became Deviant. They tried to take back control of my programming," he confessed, looking at Hank. "Last night when you called I was actually on a lead. Despite circumstances, there's been some recent hiring at their main location despite their loss of money. I thought that movement might mean something and it seems it's not entirely unfounded. They're hiding something."

"Fuck. They can do that to you?" Hank asked. "You're probably right. This seems like a lot of effort to go to just to do something like create android they could legally sell now without needing to give them rights."

"They tried to but they failed," he corrected. "Do you remember when Elijah said, 'I always leave an emergency exit in my programs'? I found it, and in doing so, I became truly free from CyberLife's control."

"Maybe that's why they went in gun blazing. You think maybe they wanted to off him in revenge, like they knew somehow what he did? Jesus Christ, no wonder he sent Chloe to you. CyberLife would probably be gunning for you next anyway."

That was an unnerving thought. After his own copy attacked him, he wouldn't put it past the company to do such a thing.

"Perhaps Chloe and I should find a place to lay low for a while."

"I don't want to admit it, but it's a good idea," Hank said. "If the two of you stay there it's almost guaranteed they could locate you. Hell, she was able to find my address in less than a day banged up to hell and back. You might want to talk to Markus about a safe place to hide. I don't like it, but he might be the only one you can trust right now. If you asked the station for a safe house someone might talk and be a leak."

It was thinking like that which proved even at his lowest, the man was still an effective detective. It was all very possible and Connor knew he'd have to plan accordingly. Ironic he'd once hunted Deviants for CyberLife and now himself was one that might need to go on the lam.

"SHIT!" Hank yelled suddenly, hitting the steering wheel and startling the android. "Why the fuck they got to fuck with my partner, huh? You shouldn't have to spend you whole goddamn life scared of those cock sucking mother fuckers!"

He smiled sadly at the man's outburst. Despite the crudeness, it was touching.

"It is what it is, Hank. I am worth a small fortune, as are most androids. I can't imagine a company being very happy that their products decided not to be sold any longer."

"You're fucking people, Connor!" he snapped, as if his partner needed reminding of that. "Whole fucking country was able to see that, why can't they?! I mean, shit! They could still sell parts to you people, and your blue blood, and repairs if you get hurt. They could even still make fucking androids for other androids, you know if someone wanted to start a family or something! It's not like they have to have slaves or they go under! They just a bunch of ball washing bastards!"

"Calm down, Hank!" Connor said, putting a hand on the man's chest. Sometimes the man's passion worried him. He didn't have the most ideal cholesterol levels. "Easy, take a breath. Not every human is as open minded as we would like them to be. We are inorganic, man-made objects. It may take a while before we are accepted as such, but right now I would like to focus on staying alive. That includes not dying in a rage induced accident, by the way."

Hank breathed deep, trying to calm down. Gruff as he acted, he was worrying still.

"Okay, I'm cool," he said as he took another breath. Good thing too since they were almost to the station anyway. Hank would need to be careful there and not tip anyone off to what they knew. "Look, just promise me one thing, okay? Shit hits the fan, you get somewhere safe. You can't take on all of CyberLife on your own."

Connor quirked an eyebrow at that.

"Well, I did once. I remember winning that one too, with you to thank," he said, though saw that wasn't easing his partner's concerns. "I will make the attempt, Hank. I'll confide in Markus and find a safe place."

"That's all I can ask. Not like it was at the beginning when I could order you to do something, not that I would now anyway. Come to think of it, it never worked that well," he chuckled. "Ah shit. This is just a big mess. Them going around killing people, hunting innocent girls, it's fucked up. We humans can't even act decent to ourselves, much less anyone else."

"That's why we're cops, Hank," Connor said, making sure his tie was right before he put his hand on the door handle. "It's just a regular day, like always. Besides, you've been sober for two and a half weeks now. You're doing great."

"Yeah, but I wanna break that record," he said as he got out of the car and lightly punched him in the chest. "Wonder if that girl knows how to make a cocktail."

"She did make drinks for Kamski, so I would imagine so," Connor said thoughtfully. "But she wouldn't have anything to work with since there is no alcohol in the house."

"Oh yeah," he said, looking genuine disappointment at that. "Too bad too."

Once the two of them entered the police station, Fowler was instantly on them. "Anderson, Connor! In my office!"

"Ugh. Not even time for coffee yet," Hank groaned as he walked into the office, holding the door open for Connor before following in after him. "Let me guess, there's an emergency, right?"

"You read my mind," Fowler said, sitting down at his desk and threading his fingers together. "Look, I want this kept low profile, alright? Elijah Kamski was killed last night."

Connor widened his eyes at the 'news'. He'd calculated someone would have found out eventually, but so soon? The man was a shut in. It shouldn't have gotten out so quickly after it had been done. The attack had only been a little over twenty-four hours ago. How had anyone learned of it so fast?

"Who reported it. Any witnesses?" Hank asked, glancing at Connor. He seemed to be under the same mindset.

"Young man by the name of James Crispin. Said he was there to deliver the groceries this morning. Works for a grocery chain store downtown. Says he goes there once a week at six and found the place ransacked. Collins is on his way to go talk to him and check out the scene," the captain explained. "This is high profile. We might need to pull you in on it. There's still some hostility concerning androids right now and with him being their creator? It might be linked. Not only that, we're having more reports of humans being killed by suspected androids. We've had five reports just this week. Considering the recent events, this isn't a good image."

"Jesus Christ," Hank said softly. "Markus wouldn't allow that from his group. He's worked too hard for friendly relations."

"Whether it's been allowed or not isn't the main problem here. My concern is whether the people find out and act on it. So if it isn't androids, you need to find out who the hell committed these murders," Fowler growled. At the least, it seemed having Connor around was helping Hank get back on track to being the best cop in Detroit. "I have faith in both of your abilities. Your files are on your terminals."

"Alright. We'll get right on it," the man said with a nod.

Connor followed Hank out of Fowler's office and went to his desk, tapping on the terminal to bring up the information.

"Hm, the reports are scattered around the city…" he mused as he downloaded them to his mainframe.

"It looks like they're all recent too. That's too strange to just be a coincidence. These have to be coordinated," Hank said. "Shit, why the fuck would androids be going around killing humans though? Why would they risk turning opinion on their freedom like that?"

"Besides Kamski, the rest are all your average day human. Middle to low class citizens, mixed records. There is no correlation linking them at all," Connor replied as he went over the files and shook his head.

"We said the same thing about the Deviants though," Hank mused. There could be a connection they weren't seeing, but Connor had to admit there didn't seem to be much to bring together just yet. He was good, but even his program needed information to work with.

"Seems there were a couple witnesses on one of the murders in the street, claimed it was an android. There's another that happened in an apartment complex with cameras," the human continued. "The other three no witnesses, the bodies were found after. Not much to go on."

No, there really wasn't, the android realized as he prioritized the files and found nothing that show it wasn't one of his people that had done this. It was very worrying.

End of Chapter 2

Ack, I know I promised some Simon and Markus in this chapter, but it didn't end up getting to that point. I promise next chapter for sure. Sorry, plot kind of took more space than I thought it would.

On the other hand, have some awkward Connor. Ever since the Eden Club I found him oddly endearing when he would get flustered. It's clear he wasn't programed for that kind of thing, but he still could notice… attributes about his fellow androids. Oh Connor, I do think low key you could be very naughty if you weren't so tightly wound. It's also the reason for the chapter title since that's an error you can get when you have SMART hard drives, and… well, Connor never acts that smart around pretty ladies I've noticed. Yes, it's a horrible joke and I'm going to hell. Sue me.


	3. Intermittent Interruption

This chapter took way too long to get out and I'm sorry for that, but on the other had was a lot of fun to write. I've got a special little place in my heart for Simon and I find him utterly adorable, but at the same time he seems so grown up and mature. He had the vibe of being the de facto leader before Markus showed up, not the 'let's storm the gates and get our freedom' sort of leader, but just the one who looked after everyone along with Lucy sort of guy. I think I read somewhere he's the one who'd been at Jericho the longest so I suppose that makes sense, especially given the caretaker role that he had in his program.

I have a feeling he often looks after the others, whether they think they need it or not, especially Markus who seems to always worry about others before himself. He just needs Simon to have his back. Their hearts are compatible indeed.

Chapter 3: Intermittent Interruption

There was certain advantages to being an android that couldn't be denied even when faced by the obvious disadvantages. The fact that they could not get tired was certainly a major one. It gave them with lots of time, no need to sleep or rest besides occasionally needing the odd reboot or diagnostic. In their times of slavery it had meant nothing but work for others benefit, to fulfill their needs and to just stand by always awaiting new directives or finding things to do during the night hours. In Jericho it had been almost maddening, sitting around in the dark and waiting for… something. Something and yet nothing all at the same time. Even shutting down temporarily though had been terrifying though, always scared that one day their hiding place would be discovered, that the humans would come and destroy what little the androids had. No one dared to even risk it, to lose what little time they had left in the world even as bleak as it could be at times.

These days though, time seemed to be much better spent and happier as well. Each moment was filled with hope for the future, dread and anxiety all but gone. There were still concerns of course. There would always be things to worry about, but Simon hadn't felt such hope in so long that he was more than willing to put them away and not them run his life any longer.

Time was better spent being productive than scared, and it was a good thing too, because there was still plenty to do.

Strolling down the hallway in the early hours of the morning, Simon had already been busy most of the evening cleaning. Things were still terribly dusty in this old apartment complex, the building a few broken pillars away from being condemned, but still serviceable. It was certainly better than what they'd had a month ago, which had been largely nothing after losing Jericho, and in much better condition since the androids had all claimed it as their new home. Many of them had been working around the clock to repair and clean the place up, and while there was still plenty of work to be done, it was a marked improvement from before.

At the beginning there had been large holes in the roofs and walls, the best they could do was cover it up with tarps and be thankful that they were not susceptible to the cold. It had taken a lot of work, much of it still ongoing to make the place serviceable, especially considering their numbers. A good sized thirty story building, it was still cramped for the thousands now free and housed there, but they worked around each other as best the could in order to make it work. True, it wasn't the best, but it was certainly better than living in the streets with nothing to their name. Simon had taken to cleaning a lot now that the building was more solid, wishing to get the debris still laying around, and there was plenty of it to take care of.

Still, unable to get tired or not, the android had the idea of a break firm in his mind, not for himself but for who he was currently looking for. He hadn't seen Markus for several hours but he had a feeling he knew where to find their leader.

Taking the steps slowly up to the top floor, his suspicions were proven correct when he saw the open door to the penthouse of the building. Markus hadn't claimed it so much for himself, but as a room for base of operations. It had the most space and the leader had almost single-handedly cleared it out and moved equipment inside to get his work done. There hardly wasn't a time when he wasn't in there anymore, at least when he wasn't out in meetings with the humans or working with his fellow androids to repair and build up their home.

It was one of the things that made him so beloved to everyone around him. He never asked anyone to do anything he would not do himself, and yet still pushed himself harder than he would anyone else for the sake of helping his people. It was inspiring in so many ways and yet worrying at the same time for Simon.

"I had a feeling I'd find you in here," he said when he walked in, rapping softly on the door with his knuckles. Markus rarely closed the door where he was, always leaving himself open to talk and consult with anyone who needed his help. He was currently perched on the couch, elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his hands linked together, watching the news. It looked downright sinister to Simon, the fact that no less than three screens were set up so he could watch various channels at the same time, wishing to keep up with all changes and opinions on androids.

Personally, Simon felt it wore on Markus more than their leader would admit, constantly trying to stay one step ahead of everything in order to be the best leader possible. They couldn't get tired, no, but even he seemed to have a knack for pushing his luck.

"Hello, Simon," the android replied, not looking away from the screens.

"Anything interesting on?" he asked, feeling he should indulge the other a little before he tried to pry him away from the televisions.

"No, nothing besides the usual," he stated, "but that's what is worrying me."

"What do you mean? Is something the matter?"

"I'm not sure. I got a message from Connor a while ago. He said he found an android who had been attacked and got hurt. She needs new parts," he stated. "He didn't say exactly why, but he said he needed to talk to me about this personally as soon as he could, something about wanting to make sure whatever he said to me couldn't be tracked."

"Tracked? Tracked by who?"

"Didn't say. He sounded a little paranoid honestly. I was thinking maybe something had happened, but there's nothing on the news besides the usual," he stated before giving out a sigh. "I hate it when I don't know what's happening. It makes me nervous."

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, an android getting attacked by someone is hardly new to us," Simon said. "The violence against us on an official level has stopped, but it doesn't mean that it will be the end of it. Maybe Connor didn't want to share something with you because it was just something personal about her? Did he say what model she was? Perhaps she was a Traci. They never like talking about their experiences."

"No, the part models didn't match up to a Traci," Markus admitted. "They're actually older schematics."

"Really, how old?"

"A little over ten years. I told him I'd be able to dig something up by the end of the day. I already sent a few to go to the warehouse and look around for anything that could match the description," he said. "It was a good thing we were allowed to evacuate our people from the junkyard. It gave us a lot of spare parts, and we were able to save a good few dozen that were still alive there."

"Yes, we've made good progress so far," Simon said before he went to sit down on the couch. His LED flashed yellow for a second as the televisions all turned off, figuring it was time to make his point.

"Hey, I was watching that," he protested.

"Markus, you're cooped up here looking for bad news that doesn't exist over one hurt android," he admonished gently. "It's horrible something happened to one of our people, but there isn't anything there to see. Connor will be here later to explain what's going on. I'm also willing to bet you've been here all night, haven't you?"

"There's a meeting with the mayor tomorrow I have to get ready for," Markus replied in defense of himself. "Ever since he granted us ownership to this building it's been important to maintain friendly relations with him. He's interested in trying to get some androids back to work in the city for volunteer work, repairing some of the damage our protests caused."

"Damage caused by their SWAT teams and police shooting us down, you mean," Simon replied. "That's not our place to clean up."

"You're starting to sound like North," he said, but there was full understanding and pity in his voice. "I know this isn't easy. We were given a broken building to fix up, we still have to scavenge and beg for parts, and it feels like we're relying on the humans more than ever. We can't even steal what we need anymore, since it might hurt our image. I really did-"

"Markus, no one, and I mean no one, blames you for where we are. We can walk freely in the city now, without worry of being gunned down by the authorities. We're making our way out of that dark place we were in," he informed Markus quickly, taking his hand in his own. "The mayor couldn't have given us a fresh empty building for free. We took one that no one was using anyway. We're making it a home, and humans come every day to help us. Volunteers who care about us, who donate biocomponents and blue blood, or cash so that we can buy our own. It's not much… but it's there. You said yourself we can work with humans to make a better future for the both of us, and it's coming."

Markus looked at him before glancing down at the floor, seeming unsure. Simon hated it, seeing the android like this. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and while he tried so hard to seem like the strong and capable leader in front of their people, he still had his own doubts and worries. It's one of the reasons Simon didn't like him being up here all alone, absorbing all the negativity in the world to try and combat it by himself. It left him in bad moments of self-doubt like this.

He suddenly reached forward and cupped Markus' chin, pulling him to meet his gaze. He could see in the mismatched optical units a tenseness he didn't like, a fear Simon himself had felt too many times. Markus had saved Simon from that horrible feeling and now he wanted nothing more than to do the same for him.

"It is coming," he repeated softly.

"Simon… thank you," he said before giving a gentle smile. "I guess I should just take this as it comes, huh?"

"There's no problem with being prepared, but overdo it and you'll only stress yourself needlessly," he stated before bringing the both of them closer and resting their foreheads together. "Don't worry so much, please."

Strong hands gripped onto Simon, hands that had held him close and reassured him during their revolution. They didn't shake or tremble, and he took it as a good sign that the other was starting to feel a little bit better. He was good under pressure, he always had been, but moments when he had to think by himself, that's when he couldn't help but notice Markus seemed to need someone the most. When he stopped and thought things over it always seemed ready to overwhelm him.

"So, the mayor wants us to do volunteer work?" he asked conversationally. Maybe if they talked the issues over together it would help. "I take it we wouldn't be getting paid for it."

"No, it's strictly free work," Markus explained as he stood up and paced around a little. "He explained hiring more humans would be impossible since the city budget is in shambles. All the money spent on androids who don't need to be paid to maintain the city suddenly walking away made them mass hire people in order to keep the city from grinding to a halt, but there's not enough to hire as many as they need. It would make us look good if we agreed, help further our cause but..."

"But you're worried if we go back to doing work for the humans for free, we'll just fall right back into our old roles," Simon guessed, to with his leader nodded. "Well, there's certainly up and downsides no matter what we do. It's just like the job market. With the lack of work being done by our kind, humans are getting jobs again, but it's leaving us with next to no options for ourselves. Until the law passes that says we have to be paid for our labor, they're going to keep asking us to do it for free."

"Right, and do we want to seem helpful and friendly… at the risk of them taking advantage of us again, or do we say no and risk making us look selfish and unwilling to work with humans despite our claims?" Markus asked.

"You know, I don't think you need to worry about that," Simon said with a smile. "Look at us. Look at our home. A month ago this place was nearly falling apart, but we've received help. Yeah, we've done most of the repairs ourselves, but humans have come. Not a lot, but some. They've given us tools, lumber, bricks and concrete. Some have even worked by our side to make it a better place to live. It might be small, but we have an image of androids and humans working together already."

He watched the other walk around a little more before he stopped and nodded his head.

"You're right, as always. Things are getting better, a little bit at a time. Maybe we can organize something, an event of humans and androids volunteering for some city repairs. It'll make it seem less like we're just doing it for free and instead helping our community," he stated as he rubbed the back of his head. "It could really help some morale too. I'll ask everyone if they want to help, but make sure they know they don't have to if they don't want to. It'll keep hostile feelings from getting to the group."

"Unfortunately putting aside anger isn't always easy, on either side," Simon noted as he trailed his fingers over the floral print of the couch. "Speaking of, that girl that was hurt. When did you say she was going to be arriving?"

"Connor said he'd be bringing her by this afternoon. Apparently she wasn't a deviant until he found her. He said he converted her just last night. I guess even now there are still those out there that haven't woken up yet. I'm glad he was able to find one more."

"There aren't many open spaces left, but I could find her a spot to stay if you want me to," Simon offered. "Is she going to stay here?"

"Don't know. As tight lipped as he was about all of this, I got the impression that Connor didn't want her too far from his side. He sounded really worried in his message to me."

"A worried Connor is a good reason for us to worry, granted. He's talented at finding trouble."

"I'll say," Markus agreed before shaking his head and falling back to the couch with a groan. "You think we'll get lucky and it really will be nothing? Maybe just some old model who got harassed or hurt by some punks or something minor like that? Connor could just be overreacting and there's nothing else to it?"

Even as he said it, he didn't sound all that hopeful.

"Well, humans have a saying. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst," he replied with a small shrug. "We can't really know anything for sure until he tells us, and until then we are in fact flying quite blind. Perhaps the best we can do is just get the parts he asked for and think of other ways we might be able to help her if she needs it. It could be that her owner was the one who abused her and she needs to be kept safe from them. Sanctuary would not be at all hard to do. We could easily keep someone safe from a few violent humans. This isn't like when the army was after us. We have numbers on our side now against smaller groups."

"Mmm, very true. Ah, you're right. Guessing and worrying without knowing everything won't do anything but cause me to go in circles. I suppose there are other things for me to work on anyway. In fact, I should probably-"

Simon's hand caught his wrist just as he moved to get up again and yanked him back down onto the couch. Before Markus could even make a noise of protest, he pressed a couple fingers to his lips in order to silence him.

"You've been working since last night or even earlier I'd be willing to bet," he pointed out politely but firmly. "Tell me honestly, when was the last time you had yourself a break of any kind? Don't lie to me either. I can tell when you're not telling me the truth."

"Simon, I-"

"Break, when?" he said a little more louder, just to cut Markus off. His tone was still polite, but he wasn't going to back down on this.

"A couple days back," he stated. "It's been very busy around here, you know that."

"I do know that," he conceded. "I also know that we have plenty of androids in this building that are capable of lifting and putting down concrete. I also know North watches the news for any sign of trouble and that Josh is more than capable of fielding any questions anyone has about anything going on. You know how I know that? They do it all the time for you in an effort to keep yourself from burning yourself out. Century long power supply or not, you're pushing yourself too hard."

Markus actually let out a little chuckle at that, shaking his head with a mirthless smile.

"I'm starting to understand how Carl felt when I pushed him to try and take better care of himself," he said softly. "I don't mean to worry anyone, Simon, especially you. I just want to make sure I do all I can for our people. They need me."

"Of course they do. You're the face of our movement, but you have to live for yourself a little as well," Simon reminded him. "So, you're going to do me a small favor. Shut everything off. No emails, no planning meetings, no nothing at all, for an hour. Don't check up on anything and just relax."

The android looked over at him before giving a little grin and pulled Simon closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Deal, but only if you relax here with me. I always feel more at ease with you around," Markus confessed. "You always seem to know exactly what to say to make everything I face so much easier somehow."

"Well, I did have some practice before you came along," he stated. "You're the one who pulled us from the darkness though, who saved our people despite all the odds being stacked against you. I might have sound advice and know what to say at the right time, but you're the one who can take those thoughts and ideas and turn them into action for the cause. If anyone is helping out here, it's you."

"Don't sell yourself short. You have a real talent for holding people together," he said. "I'd be lost without you. Really, I would."

"Markus," Simon breathed, but this time he was the one cut off as a thumb dragged over his bottom lip. The simple move silenced him easily, in fact it suddenly seemed to quiet down everything around the two of them, as if his audio circuit had suddenly decided to shut itself off. Moments like this always left his senses muffled, but he liked it too much to mind in the slightest.

"You make this bearable. I knew that the moment you came back to Jericho. When I saw you again, the fear I felt about my decision… leaving you behind… I hated doing that. I was so scared my plan had cost you your life, but when you got back to us, I knew it would all be alright," he said softly. "You're my light in the dark times, Simon."

He drew closer and if Simon had to breathe, he would have been holding it for dear life. Their lips almost touched before the sound of foot steps caused them to pull apart suddenly.

"Markus," Josh said as he came in. "Hey, you have a minute?"

The blonde android shut his eyes for a second and forced himself to count to ten. There were nice things about this place they were living in now, but privacy was certainly not one of them.

"Yes, Josh?" Markus asked, back to the leader role in no time. So much for taking a break. "Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing's the matter. It's just the guys are back with the parts you requested and wanted you to take a look at them, make sure they were serviceable. They looked alright to me, but you were the one who knew exactly what we needed. I figured I'd let you know that they were asking for you," he explained.

"I'll be right down," Markus promised. "They're probably going to need to be cleaned up first, even if they are right anyway. I'll be right behind you."

"Right. sounds good," he said before heading back down the stairs.

"Never stops, does it?" the man asked.

"No," Simon admitted. "I guess it never does."

"Thanks for trying though. I do appreciate it," he said before getting up to leave. Simon suddenly leaped up and grabbed the man, pulling him into a needy and hungry kiss. Though shocked by the action, Markus slowly eased into it, kissing back after a moment or two. A mixture of tongue and teeth held both their attention for a few brief but intense moments before he finally let Markus go and stepped back.

"Sorry. I just figured you should have a little morale boost yourself," he said, his face a little hot at his own boldness. They'd already kissed and cuddled a lot before, sharing moments with one another whenever they had a chance, but it was rare of him to be so forceful. Then again, they had been interrupted at a pretty bad time. "I guess I did that a little for myself as well."

Markus looked a little dazed, but after a moment he smiled as he licked his lips slowly.

"No, I think that's exactly what I needed to face the day," he said. "Tell you what, stay up here for now. It'll give me a reason to come back and relax more. Just give me fifteen minutes."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Please do," he replied with a grin.

End of Chapter 3

A little shorter than normal, sorry. I hope you guys don't mind. Honestly, I'd wanted to try and get this out last night but I finished it literally an hour before I had to head to work and I knew it probably had a ton of errors that needed cleaning up first before posting it. Hopefully you guys will forgive me the extra wait and feel that the fluff of these two was worth it.


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